Kavitha questions Telangana government move to invite Priyanka Gandhi to launch scheme; Congress hits back

Hyderabad: BRS leader K Kavitha on Saturday took exception to Telangana government's decision to invite Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to launch the Rs 500 gas cylinder scheme.

The BRS MLC's reaction comes a day after Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, addressing a public meeting at Indervelly in Adilabad district, said Vadra would be invited to launch the Congress' poll guarantee of providing LPG cylinder to the poor at Rs 500.

Hitting back at Kavitha, the ruling Congress today said that people voted out the BRS as they were fed up with the "misuse of power" and governance "like a king".

Kavitha, daughter of former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, sought to know in what capacity Vadra was being invited to the event.

"Has she (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) won even as a sarpanch in any village in the country or as MLA or as MLC? Does she have any (government) protocol in our state?" asked the BRS MLC while addressing reporters.

If Vadra is invited to government programmes, her party would protest by releasing black balloons, she said.

Making a veiled reference to MLAs of ruling JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand camping in Hyderabad ahead of the trust vote to be faced by the Champai Soren government, Kavitha wondered of it is not a waste of public money as a minister accompanied the MLAs with escort to a luxury resort after they landed at the airport.

State Congress Working President Mahesh Kumar Goud said Kavitha "lost her prestige" in Nizamabad district following allegations against her in the Delhi excise policy case.

Kavitha was a Lok Sabha member from Nizamabad earlier.

Telangana became a reality and Kavitha's father K Chandrashekar Rao could become chief minister because top Congress leader Sonia Gandhi took a decision in favour of it, he said.

Vadra would definitely visit the state and participate in programme, Goud said.